Parcel-carrier.



J. L. BALDWIN.

PARCEL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, IsIo.

1,165,565. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA xwoman-H co..\v^SHI.\'n-row. u. c.

J. L. BALDWIN.

PARCEL CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1910.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

parrain srarne ramena carrer..

ramas L. BALDWIN, or CHICAGO, rLLINcIs.

PARCEL-CARRIER.

Application filed Apr125, 1910.

To @ZZ yIii/wm t may concern.'

, Re it known that l, JAMES L. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented a new and useful Parcel-Carrier, ot which the following is a speeiiication.

My invention relates to parcel carriers in which a basket is detachably connected to a suspended car arranged to travel on an elevated track and the objects of my improvements are irst, to provide an automatic locking and unlocking device between the basket and the car; second, to prevent the throwing cord from getting entangled lwith the car; third automatically to lock the car at the end ot' the track, when the basket is detached; fourth, to provide a safety or double track wire; iiith, to make a simple and eieetive thrower guide; siXth, to make a simple, cheap and durable device, and other features to become apparent from the description to follow.

My invention comprises an elevated track preferably made of two wires stretched between two stations, a car to travel on said track, a thrower for the oar, a guide for the thrower, guards for the thrower cord, a basket and means for attaching and detaching the basket to the car, all of said parts being of a novel construction.

To describe my invention so that others versed in the art to which it pertains can make and use the same; I have illustrated it on the accompanying two sheets ot drawing in which z Figure l, is a side elevation of one station with a car in position to be sent out, -embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is an inverted plan view of the basket crosshead; Fig. 3, is a detailed longitudinal section of the automatic locking mechanism on the car for the basket; Fig. 4, is a similar View showing the said locking device in an unlocked position and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 3, showing modifications.

Similar reference characters refer to'similar parts throughout the several views.

The support 7 is secured to the ceiling or other overhead frame and has its lower end held in position by the guy wire 8. Swiveled about the lower end of the support 7 is the bracket 9 provided with the laterally eX- tending ears 10 and 11 and the depending extension 12. The frame 13 is riveted or otherwise secured to the ear 10 and has one Specification of Letters Patent.

13a/iftented'Dec 23, 1915.

Serial No. 558,035.

arm 14@ extending a considerable distance out from the support 7 above the track wires 15 and 16 which are secured to the frame 13 lat 17 by means of the clip 18. rlhe tree end of the arm 14 has secured to it a cross bar which has secured at each end a vertical tube 19 which are so arranged that the track wires 15 and 16 lie between the lower ends of said tubes 19. Each tube 19 has slidably mounted therein a coiled spring 2O whose upper end is arranged to stop in its upward movement against the shoulder 2l inside the tube 19.

To the lower end of each .spring 2O is rigidly secured a stirrup 22 whose lower ends are connected by a cross bar 23 which is normally held in position by the action of the springs 20 some distance below the car 211 which is mounted to travel on the wheels 25 which roll on the track wires 15 and 16. The sides of the car 2% are spaced .apart to straddle the thrower mechanism to be described. The cross bar 23 can be lifted by compressing the springs 20 and to thus litt .said bar 23, one end ot' each of thecords 26 is secured to the stirrups 22 at 27 and from thence extend up in the spring 20, over pulleys 28 and 29, thence down to the coupling 30 to which both cords 26 are secured. The cord 31 has its upper end secured to the coupling 30 and extends down through guide 32 provided on extension 12 and down within reach of the operator. It will be seen that a downward pull on` cord 31 will pull up on the .stirrups 22 and compress the springs 20. The basket not shown is pro vided with the upward extending bails 33 which are rigidly secured to the basket crosshead comprisng the elongated open frame 34 and the center cross bar 35 by means of which the basket is attached to the car 24. rllhe frame 3% is provided with the two depending pins, 36 arranged to take into coperating holes provided in the cross bar 23 when the said cross bar 23 and basket bracket are brought together. One of the pins 36 is provided with a catch which is engaged by a. spring pressed latch 36 pivotally mounted on the bar 23, thus retaining the basket crosshead in position on the trame 34. The upper end of the stirrup 22 is provided with a hook shaped extension as shown in Fig. 1, which is arranged above the path of the basket crosshead so as to contact with the said crosshead when the stirrup is hit with considerable Jforce and moved laterally by the impact of the incoming car, thus preventing the cross bar 23 from swinging laterally out of registering position with the pins 36.

rlhe car 2l is provided at either end with a spring pressed pivoted latch 37 arranged to engage the hook 38 when the car comes in to the station and prevent the said car from rebounding awav from the station. The hook 38 is mounted on the end of a rod 39, mounted to slide in a perforation provided in the extension 12, and a butler spring 46 is interposed between the hook 38 and the extensi'fn l2 to absorb the shock of the incoming car. A short cushion spring l1 is provided to counteract spring` 40. The hook 38 is retained in proper position in the path of thc car` latch 37 b v having a perforated extension Ll2 slidingly mounted on the flat or angular rod i3 connected at one end to the ear 11 and at the other end to the bracket 44 which is clamped to the lower track wire 16. fin arm L15 ot' the bracket 13 is secured to the rod i3 at e6, thus securing the bracket 13, the track wires .15 and 16, the bracket Lliland the rod 13 together to lie in the same vertical plane.

A thrower 4:7 for the car is mounted to slide on the rod 43 and has attached thereto for the purpose of operation oneV end of the cord a8 which extends trom there out around pulley 4i-9 pivoted in bracket 44k, then back over pulley 50 pivoted in arm 45, and thence down' around pulley 51 pivoted in hand block 52, thence up over pulley 53 pivoted in extension 12 and thence down to the hand block 52 to which its other end is secured so that when the hand block 52 is pulled down the thrower 4:7 will be pulled along to the right as viewed in Fig. l, and if the car 2-1 is in position as shown in said Fig. 1, the thrower Ll-7 will engage the upward extension 54 of the latch 37 and swing said latch about its pivot so as to disengage it from the hook 38 and the further movement of the thrower 4:7 will force the car 24 out along on the track. When the car is returned to the station it will engage the thrower 47 and return it to its normal position las seen in Fig. 1, and the latch 37 will catch in hook 38. rEhe rod 43 is made flat or angular in cross section so as to prevent the thrower 47 which is strung thereon from tilting or turning on said rod 43.

The basket with its crosshead is made detachable from the car 2li and to prevent the accidental throwing out of the car 211 when the basket is detached therefrom, l provide on the basket crosshcad frame 3l an extension 55 made on an incline to serve as a cam for lifting the free horizontal end of lever 56, which is loosely pivoted to the bumper 38, when the car is at the station with a basket attached thereto. Vhen the basket with frame 3l is removed from the car, force of gravity will cause the horizontal end of lever 56 to move down the hook end to swing to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, above the latch 37 and lock said latch against removal from the hook 38. Thus the car cannot be thrown out or removed from the station when there is no basket attached thereto. The extension 5a of the latch 37 is extended up to have its extremity pass very close to the extension 57 on the car frame so as to prevent the thrower cord L1:8 from getting entangled with the latch 37 or other parts ot' the car.

The mechanism provided for automatically locking and unlocking the basket to and from the car is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and e and comprises the main locking lever 58 pivoted at 59 to the car 24A, the secondary locking lever 60 pivoted at 61 to the lever 58 and the releasing lever 62 pivotally and slidably mounted on the pin 63 secured in the secondary locking lever.

The cai` 2-lis constructed of two side plates provided with two pairs of depending lugs 6-1 and the levers 58, 60 and 62, are located between these two side plates. `As seen in Fig. 3 when the basket is lifted by the elevator, z'. e., the stirrups 22 and ropes 26, the cross bar 35 of the basket crosshead trame 3ft passes up between the lugs 6st, engages and lit'ts the lever 58 about its Jivot 59, lifting lever 60 until its lower end provided with the notch 65 alls by gravity into position engaging the pin 66 secured in the lugs 64, and the hook shaped end 67 of lever 62 will fall by gravity down over the lug 68 provided on lever 60 adjacent the notch 65, thus locking the notch 65 of lever 60 againstu removal from the contact with pin 66, by the hook 67, and holding the levers 58 and 6U in their proper position to support the cross bar 35 as clearly seenin Fig. 3. As the cross bar 23 of the elevator descends it engages and depresses the tree end ot lever 62 and swings it about the lug 68 as a pivot until it passes the same, when the lever 62 will again resume its normal position with its free end in the path of cross bar 35, as seen in Fig. 3. The lever 62 is slidably mounted on the pin 63 by means of a slot 63 for the purpose oi permitting said lever 62 to be swung about the lug 68 as a pivot, and a compression spring 63 is provided to hold the lever 62 yieldingly down and against the pin 63 and the lug 68 and pin 63. 1t will be seenthat gravity may be depended on for this purpose, but l prefer to use a spring. When the basket is thus locked to the car 24: and the elevator is lifted by a downward pull on the rope 31, the cross bar 23 of the elevator will engage the free end of lever 62, swing the same up about its pivot 63,v lift the hook 67 up out of the path of the lug 68 and pin 66, the tail end 70 of lever 62 will take against the extension 7l on lug -t and act as a pry to move the lower end of lever to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, out ot' engagement with the pin 66, thus permitting the lever 58 to swing down about its pivot 59 and releasing the cross bar 35 from the car as seen in Fig.`

From the description given it will be understood that repeated raising and lowering ot' the elevator will alternately lock and unlock the basket to and trom the car Q4.

1n Fig. 5, is shown a modification in which the secondary lever 72 is pivotally connected to the hook portion 69 of lever and the releasing lever 7 4: is pivotally and slidablyk connected to the pin 75 secured in lever 72. The lever 7a is provided with an irregular slot 7 G through which the pin 77 secured inthe lugs 64 extends. rlhe operation of this structure is similar to that of the structure shown in Figs. 3 and t, i. e., repeated raising and lowering ot the elevator will alternately lock and unlock the basket to and ironi the car ln Fig. 6, 1 have illustrated another moc iiication in which the secondary lever 78 is pivotally connected at 79 to the hook portion G9 of lever 58 and the releasing lever 80 is pivotally and slidably mounted on pin 8l secured in lever 78 and cooperates with pin 82 secured in lugs 6e. The operation of this is so similar to the device shown in Figs. 3 and et that it will not be necessary to describe tlie saine.

ln Fig. 7, still another modification is shown in which the main locking lever 83 is pivoted at Se to the lugs 64 and is provided with the hook shaped part 85 and the lower end carrying the pin S6 about which is pivotally and slidably mounted the locking and releasing lever S7 which is provided with the hook S8 which when in a locked position engages the pin 89 secured in the lugs G4. ln this construction there is no secondary lever between the'locking and releasing lever and the main locking lever, but the locking and releasing lever 87 is connected directly7 to the main locking lever 83. It will be noted that when the parts are in a position supporting the cross har 35 on the hook shaped portion 85 as seen in Fig. 7 that the weight of the basket is supported by the pivot 84, and to assist in supporting said basket, the lower side of lever S3 may -be made onan arc struck from the pivot 84% to rest on the pin 89. The operation of this device is similar to the operation of those constructions described above. y

Having thus fully described my invention what l. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a parcel carrier, a car to travel on a suspended track, a basket crosshead, and means tor automatically locking and unlocking said basket crosshead to and from said car comprising a main pivoted locking lever, a secondary locking lever pivoted to said iirst named lever `and a releasing lever attached to said second named lever.

1n a parcel carrier, a track, a car totravel on said track, a basket crosshead, and means for automatically locking and unlocking said basket crosshead to and from said car comprising a pivoted locking lever and a combined locking and releasing lever operatively connected to said locking lever to move with it.

ln a parcel carrier, a track, a car to travel on said track, a basket detachably secured to the car provided with a suitable bracket, an elevator for the basket provided with a suitable stirrup whose lower end is arranged to register with depending lugs on the basket bracket and an extending hook on the upper part oi. the stirrups to engage the said basket bracket when the stirrup is moved laterally by the impact of the car and prevent the elevator stirrup from being torced out of registering position with the J basket bracket.

at. 1n a parcel carrier, a track, a car to travel on said track, a basket crosshead, a bumper hook at the end ot' the track to retain the car and a locking lever pivoted to said bumper hook to lock the car on the hook in the absence of the basket crosshead.

5. In a parcel carrier, a track, a car to travel on said track, a basket bracket detachably connected to the car, a bumper hook at the end ot the track to retain the car and a locking lever pivoted to said bumper hook, and actuated by the basket bracket, to lock the car on the hook in-the absence ot the basket.

6. In a parcel carrier, a track comprising a wire, a support for the track wire, a car to travel on said track, a bar rectangular in cross section having one end secured to the track wire remote from the track wire support, a thrower for the car provided with a rectangular perforation threaded onto said bar and arranged to slide thereon and means for operating said ,throwen 7. 1n a. parcel carrier, a track comprising a wire, a support for said wire, a car to travel on Said track, a bar rectangular in cross section arranged below and parallel to said track having one end secured to said wire support and the other end secured to the track wire remote from said wire support, a one piece thrower for the car provided with a rectangular perforation threaded onto said bar and arranged to slide thereon and a pull cord attached to said thrower for operating the same.

8. 1n a parcel carrier, a track comprising one upper and one lower wire, a bar angular in cross section secured to said lower track wire to lie parallel thereto, a basket t0 be i attached to and detached from the car, an

elevator at the end of the track or the basket, a car to travel on said track provided with spaced slides arranged to straddle the angular bar and be guided thereby against lateral movement to enter its positionat the elevator and a thrower for the car to slide on the angular bar and held against rotation thereby.

9. ln a parcel carrier, a track, a car to travel on said track, a pivoted latch at the end of the car to hold the car at the station, an upward extension on said latch to release Vthe car from the station, a thrower` cord passing through between the spaced sides of the car, and an extension on the car frame terminating close to the free end of the extension on the latch to prevent the thrower cord passing between. said two extensions.

l0. ln a parcel carrier, a track wire, a training secured below said track wire coniprising a bar angular in cross section secured to the vertical track wire standard, a car to travel on said track having spaced sides to pass on each side of said framing, a pivoted latch on said car, pulleys carried on said training and a propeller cord passed over said pulleys, a Jthrower for the car attached to said cord and mounted to slide on said angular bar of the framing and guided thereby to engage and release the latch on the car and to propel said car along the track wire.

11. In a parcel carrier, a track Wire, a framing below said track wire secured at one end' to the track wire support and at the other end to the trackwire remote from the track wire support, said framing coinprising a bar angular in cross section, a car to travel on said track having spaced sides to pass on each side of said training, a pivoted latch onsaid car, pulleys carried on said framing and a propeller cord passed over saidvpulleys, a thrower for the car attached to said cord and mounted to slide on said angular bar of the framing and guided thereby to engage and release the latch on the car and to propel said` car along thetrack wire.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my JAMES L. BALDWIN.

. Witnesses:

R. J. Jackson,

ARL MUELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

